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freescotland14

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  • I used to work in Glasgow Airport, and whilst I wouldn’t waste breath defending First, it’s the company that owns/runs Glasgow Airport itself that are to blame (can’t mind there name). They only allow one operator to ‘win’ the franchise, which costs a shit load of money, meaning whoever wins has to charge a ridiculous amount to see any return (though sure there’s shouvel loads of profit in it for First too, who else would/could even bid on the airport route franchise?) by freescotland14 (Mon 10th Feb 2020 8:49pm)
  • Lingo Flamingo in the south side (and Dennistoun) do a number of languages, don’t know if Dutch is currently one, and all profits go towards tackling dementia through language learning in care homes :) by freescotland14 (Wed 15th Apr 2020 12:44pm)
  • You’d think so! But I used to work at VisitScotland and Glasgow was/is actually incredibly under capacity when it came to hotels (at least in 2017/18 when I was there). This didn’t necessarily mean there were never enough hotels, it simply meant that during peak times - ie summer, multiple conferences, concerts etc etc - demand outstripped supply to the such a point that BandBs and shitty hotels could charge outrageous amounts for rooms. This means there’s huge money still to be made for hotels by building or converting new building, especially as Glasgow positions itself and an event and conference capital of Europe (think Cop26) and is project 7-8% growth in tourism in coming years (or was prior to Covid!) It’s a great thing for the city (jobs and beats the potential dangers of Air BnB) by freescotland14 (Wed 19th Aug 2020 10:45pm)
  • Charcoals do a phenomenal amount of charity work too - both with the homeless in Glasgow and providing education in Pakistan - which is a nice added bonus too! by freescotland14 (Tue 25th Aug 2020 8:25pm)
  • I say this as someone with no affiliation to the other side of the old firm dynamic. Literally just five minutes, less maybe, of observations after stepping off the train. Genuine scum bag, fulfilling every stereotype behaviour. by freescotland14 (Sat 15th May 2021 7:37pm)
  • Cull 👀? by freescotland14 (Sun 18th Jul 2021 10:35pm)
  • Anyone reckon there is something of the ‘broken window theory’ on Union Street? The Egyptians halls are a tragedy, boarded up for my entire life-time. Gawdy vape shops and other clearly-money-laundering businesses underneath. Litter everywhere (like all of Glasgow) but even worse - look up at central, the nets that are meant to stop pigeons are literally hanging sacks of whatever shite the junkies in the Makintosh hotel have chucked out their windows. … could go on for ages describing how dire it is… is it a chicken and egg scenario but? The area surrounding central is run down and so attracts the dregs or the dregs are there and so it becomes run down? by freescotland14 (Thu 21st Oct 2021 11:08pm)
  • Union Street Investments Ltd's Directors: * SOUTER, Duncan Robert * SOUTER, Derek John * KERR, John Kelvin Expropriate these cunts and then banish them from the city, Athenian-style. Hang them by their ankles from the Kingston Bridge if need be. Get them to fuck. by freescotland14 (Fri 22nd Oct 2021 11:52am)
  • Istanbul is a bit of a reach! I remember going on it a few years back and them making the claim that it was the second oldest... while it's true, it only has two stations and the carriage, still pulled by a rope, only travels 0.5km! Funicular shouldn't be in the same category imho... So Glasgow is still third! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%BCnel by freescotland14 (Tue 14th Dec 2021 9:50am)
  • Samosa from the Post Office on Bridge Street 🤌 by freescotland14 (Mon 20th Dec 2021 4:51pm)
  • I don’t understand the economics of why it’d make a difference, but back in the day, Glasgow was owned by BAA, who own most major airports in the UK. But BAA were forced to sell because the owned Edi and Aberdeen as well… So maybe in continuing to own Edinburgh they are just in a stronger negotiating position with the airlines? Who knows? by freescotland14 (Fri 29th Jul 2022 11:01pm)
  • Mmm, I guess for some of those developments though, for example those in the Gorbals, are mixed developments, 50% ownership and 50% housing association. I think they were doing 5% deposits at one point for the ones you could buy too, although I'm sure that's now done and dusted. That might bracket it as 'affordable'? Although no chance that any of the new Merchant City housing will fall into the affordable category. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 10:20am)
  • Yeah, definitely - seeing the big picture and treating the city as a whole package is definitely the way to go about it. Don't think I've heard about the metro plans? Would that be like a light rail? Or integrated with the subway / railway lines? by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 10:41am)
  • It's not though? Like, I've seen *plenty* of people litter with my own eyes, but that's only part of the problem. The main issues are: * Multiple competing waste management companies. This means most businesses just leave flimsy plastic bags on pavement, which looks bad in and of itself and then are prone to be torn open by seagulls etc. * A solution to this would be to have centralised waste drop-off points like they have in the Netherlands and keep the management of it in-house with the council. [Have a wee look at this video here how it works.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JtoSafhvLM&ab_channel=NotJustBikes) * Many bins aren't emptied often enough (due to a lack of investment in street cleaning services) meaning even if you do put it in the bin, it is likely to get blown out of the bin and become litter. The weather in Glasgow makes this more likely. * When was the last time you saw a street cleaning team in Glasgow? As in a road sweep, mechanical or an actual person? Almost every city in the world will have cunts who litter, but the solution is to have teams clean it up. * This doesn't just mean guys with a litter picker, a lot of European cities literally have night teams that power wash the streets. I can't even imagine this being debated in Glasgow There are very very few things I hate more than people who litter - can't get my head around the lack of respect and self-indulgence it takes to do that. But that's just point out one part of the problem. And even that one part has solutions, no? Like more advertising campaigns against littering and, more importantly, heavy penalties, and teams to enforce those penalties for those that do litter... Genuinely get people who litter or don't pick up dog shite doing community service. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 10:58am)
  • Yeah, can't help but feel the Edinburgh trams were really bad PR for that mode of transport in Scotland... The sad thing is, that even though it was a disaster at the beginning, it's a long-term investment that will last for decades. Already in Edinburgh, most people don't care what happened in the past, the talk is all about it being improved now that they've seen the value it brings. For example, how it's now being extended down to Leith and there's talk of a second line running through the old town. Glasgow's wider street would surely make it easier to do it here as well! by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:04am)
  • Couldn't agree more with the one public transport ticket thing. There was talk of that happening, no? Like during COP26 the delegates had such a ticket to use? I've not heard it brought back up recently though. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:08am)
  • Think I mind seeing that ages ago actually. Thanks... Hopefully, they don't ever go with whatever that artist's impression is. Why would they go to the extra expense of raising the tram off the ground? Would just look terrible. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:10am)
  • Ah, right. I guess there is an argument for that kind of solution... which would basically mean free public transport. I believe some cities on the continent are experimenting with this? I'd rather see us continue to pay and have more investment made, of course. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:24am)
  • Yeah, I wonder what route would be best to get the highest number of people on board from the beginning. City centre to the East end (i.e. Carmyle)? City centre to the Southside (i.e. Giffnock)? by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:21am)
  • I mean, you've not really dealt with any of those counterpoints... * Have you not seen the bags of commercial waste on pavements? Have you not seen those bags burst open? * Have you not seen bins full? And things falling/blowing out of those bins? * Are there no solutions to learn from other cities? Do you literally think Glaswegians are the only people to litter? * Have you ever seen consistent teams of street cleaners? Littering by individuals is *clearly* a problem. But if not a single person littered ever again, do you really think there would be no waste lying around the city and Glasgow would suddenly be spotless? There's clearly bigger issues at play here than personal responsibility! In fact, there is and has been a coordinated campaign for decades by the companies that make up a significant portion of the litter (Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Unilver etc), to have us blame the individual... Seems you've bought right into it. This is a collective problem that needs collective solutions. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:36am)
  • Couldn't agree more! If the city planners had the 'vision', or at least the balls, to knock down half the city centre and stick and motorway through it 50 years ago, then surely we can have the ambition and vision now to rectify their mistakes! I know there is a 'Replace the M8' campaign, I hope it picks up some momentum. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:47am)
  • The aim of the game was positives alongside negatives. Some of your points seem contradictory though. Many of those points are, from what I know both true and harrowing. But surely there is space then for 'someone else' to step in and help, whether that be the council, the government, social enterprises or 'civil society more broadly. For example: * 'The worst alcohol abuse / The worst drug problems.' * Are there no policy solutions to this? For example, safe consumption space? Better treatments etc. * It has the worst violent crime rate. * From what I understand, this is no longer true. And Glasgow is now held out as an example of how to deal with violent crime? Many policymakers and police forces visit Glasgow to understand how treating violent crime as a health issue can foster success. Again, those improvements are down to 'someone else' - i.e. policymakers * The worst pollution. * As many people have said in this thread, this is indeed a problem. One is mostly caused by an incredibly busy motorway running through the heart of the city. I'm entirely unsure of how this could be improved other than by 'someone else', i.e. by central and local government building alternative transport options and, eventually, scraping the M8 or sticking it in a tunnel. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:54am)
  • So true. We seem to be heading in the right direction with some investments being made (i.e. Barclays). I would *love* for them to get rid of the Quay though, what a waste of prime space for a shitty casino and terrible chain restaurants. There's talk of new developments down at the Govan docks as well? Could certainly use some bars/restaurants/cafes down by the river too... Can't think of a single example, other than the Ferry, which speaks for itself. It'd be great to see the area leading to St Enoch / where the footbridge have some investment too. That 'bandstand' bit of the clyde, which is basically just steps, is pretty grim. Maybe with the new hotels etc, that'll come sooner rather than later? by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:00pm)
  • Edinburgh + Glasgow are both great in their own ways imho. Your analysis seems pretty fair though, definitely takes more money to do just the bare minimum in the capital... Saying that, I think we're lucky to have both and, realistically, we can travel between the two within an hour... Which is similar to travelling from one part of London to another on the tube. Love Kurdish Street Food + Ranjit's! Reflects the diversity in Glasgow, another positive compared, at least, to other cities in Scotland. I think there is a higher degree of solidarity in Glasgow, for sure. Would like to think that not looking down on benefit recipients / disability would be found across Scotland and the UK though! by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:06pm)
  • Ah nice, are you like pals with some people involved in city planning? Or this was like a formal meeting type of thing? Sounds positive either way. Good shout with the canal, makes for a proper lovely walk - especially on a day like today! Completely agree with the driver's point... there's a particular type of da' rage going on with Glaswegians in cars - and particularly vitriolic hatred of cyclists. Particularly frustrating that there would seem to be a crossover between the type of folk who are aggressive drivers and those who get ragin' at the thought of investing in cycling/walking infrastructure. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:19pm)
  • Haha, I do know what you mean. I guess it would be more run as a state-run enterprise, like Scottish Water, rather than literally some ego-driven mediocre local politician running the show? I know Manchester is planning on bringing their buses back into public ownership, would be keen to understand how it actually works in practice to ensure it doesn't end up a council-run shit-show. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:27pm)
  • I wouldn't say it's literally a no-go area, as in dangerous or whatever... but there's no reason to visit there other than to quickly walk through to somewhere else, and even then I would try to walk any other route so as to avoid it... There are no shops worth visiting, no restaurants, terrible pubs, that scaffolding that has been up for years. Plus, in relation to the point above, there is a high number of mwi / out their nut junkies, particularly on the central station side of the road. Just a grim grim part of the city, such a sorry state for people arriving into the city by train. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:24pm)
  • Aye, right enough, not sure why I've said that thinking about the state of politics and political narratives across the UK lol. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:46pm)
  • Not quite burning it down... but they pretty much tried that in the 60s/70s and many of the problems today stem from exactly that haha by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 12:51pm)
  • I'm not trying to be hyperbolic. I've lived in other cities in the UK (London, Edinburgh) as well as cities in other countries too. Yes, living in a city comes hand in hand with litter, fly-tipping and a general kind of filth. That's likely inescapable - but it's a matter of degree. Glasgow is dirty *throughout* the city. Like even in the 'nice' bits can be bogging. Compare that to London/Edinburgh/Manchester, where, in my experience, those cities at least make an effort to clean the most visited parts of the city, for tourists reasons if nothing else. Can the same be said about Glasgow? Some areas are dirtier than others, but *no* area feels clean in the way that Amsterdam, Nantes, Vienna, Madrid or countless other cities feel. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 1:06pm)
  • That’s class. Didn’t know that. I’ve actually got my own wee litter picker from BandM but couldn’t get over the cringe of going out myself to start picking up shite. Would be keen to join one of the groups. Will need to look out for them. by freescotland14 (Thu 11th Aug 2022 11:02pm)
  • I think that was a poor choice of words by me given that "no-go areas" is a term often used by the political right to speak about poorer and more ethnically diverse areas... However, as I said elsewhere, while not no-go areas as such, there is very little, I would argue, no reason, to actually go to those areas. And yes, that's partly because of the jakeballs and partly because of shite shops, street feel etc. I don't feel unsafe as such around those areas because I've grown up in Glasgow all my life and feel used to it, but I've seen two people glassed outside central and plenty of others reeling from violence (i.e. blood spilling down their face) over the years. So I don't think the areas are safe just because it's only jakeball-on-jakeball violence, so to speak. by freescotland14 (Fri 12th Aug 2022 10:04am)
  • https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/wqlcx3/how\_dare\_you\_run\_a\_fucking\_stop\_sign/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3 by freescotland14 (Wed 17th Aug 2022 1:19pm)
  • Controversial (maybe)... The Barras is shite and has been absolute shite for decades. It looms larger in the imagination of the city than as an actual place worth visiting in any sense. It's a pretty embarrassing place all around. Gentrification is usually a prerogative term, but get the whole area gentrified to fuck: build more flats, open actual decent cafes and restaurants, incentivise real sellers and makers etc to move there. Keep the barras' heritage and what it represents, but build on it and make it fit for the 21st century, not a market full of carpet shops and bogging tit-tat. by freescotland14 (Wed 17th Aug 2022 2:51pm)
  • Him or one of his protegees was still selling it the other week... by freescotland14 (Wed 17th Aug 2022 3:37pm)
  • Is the Lighthouse run by the council? I know it used to have that brand of council-run cafe, Encore, which implies it is? If so, I guess it has gone the same way as the People's Palace - closed until further notice for all intents and purposes. Longer-term, it's maybe not a bad thing if it was losing money? Seems quite likely the Lighthouse was using money seeing as the aforementioned cafe and the occasional event are the only revenue it'd be generating? Can't help but feel both the PP and the Lighthouse are under-utilised in terms of what there is to see and do inside. However, I don't really trust the council to replace or improve the contents of either. by freescotland14 (Tue 23rd Aug 2022 7:29pm)
  • Everything below is dependent but I'd say as a rough guide for Glasgow price for * £400 - £700: rent/mortgage * £200 - £400: Transport (I have a car right enough, and maybe not necessary) * £500: bills including council tax * £400: food + household * £400: Leisure £1900 - £2100, post-tax. I'd say there are costs you could cut there, but to live with a fair standard of living, that's bare minimum I'd say. If you want to save, I'd say you'd need more than that. by freescotland14 (Thu 1st Sep 2022 5:04pm)
  • Indian on Skirving Street or Kebabish. Both fantastic and slightly different from one another. by freescotland14 (Sat 3rd Sep 2022 3:26pm)
  • Pretty infuriating the Glasgow Club stuff - I'm still a member, but genuinely every time I go makes me rageing that they have simply closed all the saunas / refused to open half the other pool-related facilities. There was talk about them opening a select few saunas, have you heard any word on that or was that just obfuscating nonsense? by freescotland14 (Fri 13th Jan 2023 3:05pm)
  • I'd say it is, no? City centre redevelopment is key - 10 - 15 years ago, Glasgow was one of the leading cities *in Europe* for shopping. The way the economy works has vastly changed since then, and the city centre needs to reflect that. Mixed-use is the future, and these plans appear to include a load of housing (albeit, they'll likely be built to let). by freescotland14 (Tue 24th Jan 2023 1:43pm)
  • Undisputedly an improvement, and unlike the current set-up looks like it'll add to Glasgow's world-famous grid system. The problem with all these renders is, even in later stages, the are meaningless because the builders/owners simply say "it's too expensive, things have change" and build some monstrosity: see the new hotels along the clyde, for example. by freescotland14 (Tue 24th Jan 2023 1:41pm)
  • Think there are multiple bars that claim to be the oldest in Glasgow: 1. **Saracen Head** \- Oldest continuous bar name/linage but has moved location several times over the centuries, now located across from the Barras 2. **Sloans** \- Likewise, not in its original building location, but claims to be older than the Scotia (don't know how, even on their website it says 1797) 3. **Old College Bar** \- now gone - but had the oldest foundations - as in though literal building foundations - and therefore claimed to be the oldest pub. 4. **The Scotia** \- I'd say it's got the best claim as has always been in that location and with that name Maybe there are others? by freescotland14 (Mon 24th Apr 2023 7:46pm)
  • Employee buy-out 💪 Turn it into a cooperative! by freescotland14 (Wed 19th Jul 2023 2:40pm)
  • They’re owned by the same people already I thought - a couple? They share the same staff n that? Seems like a non story. Used to own those RHA headphones as well but think they sold their share to some dodgey cunt who bought low and sold high, terrible quality. by freescotland14 (Mon 21st Aug 2023 10:19pm)
  • Sarti’s (the Italian). They made you pay for you uniform, which was ridiculously overpriced (the white shirts with their badge on and the apron). They had a 3 tier hierarchy of tips where managers and Italian employees would get more (shit you not). The family-connected managers were nasty bullies as well. I’ve worked for dozens of hospitality businesses and they were by far the worse… can’t deny the food is class though. by freescotland14 (Fri 22nd Sep 2023 7:10am)
  • On sale for £750,000. 1000 folk chip in £750 each. Community by out. Run as a cooperative. How do we do it? by freescotland14 (Wed 18th Oct 2023 2:55pm)
  • I guess the business model is there. One good thing about a pub is the business model is fairly simple! There's even room for improvement at the Laurieston with zero loss of character (for example, it could move from being a 'stub' pub to finding investment to building above the building - as it would have been in the past). But anyway - in terms of running the pub... The way it'd run I suppose, is that the 1000 investors each get an initial vote, and select a small committee (5 people let's say) who would be empowered to run the pub as any private group of investors would. Over the long-term, I would suggest that each of the 1000 investors would be guaranteed some sort of return (let's say of 25% or 50% over a long(ish) period - so like £1000 or £1200). Once everyone is paid back the pub transfers to community ownership (a CIC or charity) and the employees are paid a percentage of the profits... the rest is put back into the business (for aforementioned improvements) or put towards 'good' projects. I've had to type this quickly. But the beginnings of a plan there! by freescotland14 (Fri 20th Oct 2023 5:34pm)
  • If folk are serious about this I'll start a wee group and we can get a proper discussion about how to get it going... I've set out a basic idea of how I think it could work, and I've been involved with starting a few social businesses + charities before... Nothing to lose I suppose! by freescotland14 (Fri 20th Oct 2023 5:52pm)